


First Light

by awinterbroccoli



Category: Harvest Moon: Friends of Mineral Town, Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town (Video Game 2020)
Genre: Childhood Friends, F/F, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Hot Springs & Onsen, Nudity, Pre-Canon, Short One Shot, but not graphic about it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-13
Updated: 2020-07-13
Packaged: 2021-03-04 23:26:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,846
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25234630
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/awinterbroccoli/pseuds/awinterbroccoli
Summary: Ran and Popuri have been best friends since childhood. Even as adults, they still meet every morning to watch the sun rise at Goddess Pond. For one dazzling moment their world is a kaleidoscope of colour.But one day, Ran begins seeing Popuri in a whole new light...
Relationships: Ann the Innkeeper | Ran/Popuri (Harvest Moon)
Comments: 5
Kudos: 25





	First Light

**Author's Note:**

> Haven't written anything in a long time! :)

Ran was the spitting image of her father, and for that she was grateful.

It was her father’s deep blue eyes that stared blearily back at her in the mirror, and her father’s strawberry blonde hair that obscured half her face in a messy shrub of bedhead. Even her hands, she thought, were kind of like her dad’s – short and square, rough and calloused from endless days of labour at the inn.

They were strong hands, useful hands. Ran fought her hair into a ponytail and flicked a spot of lint off her shirt. “I hope we get a lot of guests today,” she mumbled.

Ran and her father had operated Mineral Town’s only inn and restaurant for as long as Ran could remember. When she was a kid, going to school at the church, he made her go straight home every day to help out. There wasn’t much free time, but in a farming town “free time” wasn’t often heard of – most of the other kids her age worked just as much as she did. These days she could at least get out each morning to see her best friend before the inn opened and the chickens needed tending.

Ran emerged from the small living space she shared with her father. “Good morning, kiddo,” Dudley said, his back to her. He was already at his station behind the restaurant counter, even though the kitchen wouldn’t open for another three hours.

“G’morning,” Ran grunted. Her father poured her a to-go cup of coffee and she grabbed a muffin.

“This is coming out of your paycheque, you know,” he said as he passed her the coffee.

“Aw, Daddy,” Ran whined. “Don’t be so stingy. Haven’t you ever heard of employee benefits?”

Dudley chuckled. “Get going, now.”

Ran snatched an extra muffin and darted out the door before her father could say anything.

In early Autumn mornings, when the sun was still hidden behind the mountains, Mineral Town was often shrouded in mist as Ran wound through its quiet streets. This particular morning she could barely see five steps ahead, and the entire world was whisper-silent. Even her footsteps on the damp cobblestones seemed muffled. She usually cut through the old abandoned farm to get to Goddess Pond, but the grey silence compelled her to take the longer route through town. Surely Popuri would understand. Silence was so preciously scarce at the inn that Ran was desperate to seize this opportunity. She closed her eyes as she walked, letting her body memory take her down the path, drinking in the solitude. She filled her lungs with crisp mountain air, already laced with a hint of winter. Ran was grateful for her hot coffee.

Popuri was already at the pond by the time Ran arrived.

“You’re late,” she said with a huff.

“Brought you a muffin.” Ran extended the banana-walnut peace offering.

Popuri’s pouty lips broke into a bright smile. “Oh, I can’t be mad at you.”

“I’m not sure if you can physically feel anger,” Ran replied. Popuri laughed, her soft soprano filling the air like sweet birdsong. Ran had never really thought about Popuri’s voice before. It was light and bubbly, yet warm. She could weave sunshine into any conversation and left Ran energized whenever they met. She looked down at her cup and smiled. Suddenly it made sense why she didn’t often drink coffee.

“Hey,” said Popuri, “do you remember that field trip we took here when we were kids? When we watched the sunrise and pretended we were going through a fairy portal?”

“Of course,” Ran replied. “I remember thinking it was magic, and then Father Charley went and ruined it by teaching us physics. I remember you falling into the pond. I remember you crying about it all day long.”

Popuri’s smile was unwavering. “I remember you jumped in to save me.”

“Someone had to do it.” Ran gulped down the last of her coffee. Her heart was racing. “Anyway, why do ya bring it up?”

Popuri was still staring into the glassy pond. “I knew from that moment that we’d be best friends forever, you know?”

“And ever,” Ran agreed. That very day they had promised to watch first light together every single day, no matter what. Always and forever. They even sealed their pact with a pinky swear.

The two women fell into comfortable silence and sat on their usual logs by the shore to watch the first light transform Goddess Pond.

It started when the sun finally dared to peek through the mists. Wherever light touched the surface the water became liquid diamonds, turning almost pure white, glowing from within. Millions of tiny rainbows danced across the trees and grass. The pond became a little world of dazzling light and colour, and for that minute, it was enough to make you believe there really was a Harvest Goddess. And the show was for Ran and Popuri alone, every morning.

Ran stole a glance at Popuri. Her cotton-candy coloured hair was shining with rainbows. Her eyes, normally deep pink, had become shimmering rubies.

For a minute, it was enough to make you believe there really was a Harvest Goddess.

She didn’t realise she was still staring until Popuri looked back at her. The light had faded.

“Never gets old, does it?” Popuri said, grinning.

“Nope,” Ran replied. And she truly meant it.

A thousand times she had watched first light with Popuri, and yet Ran had never before seen it.

\--------------------

Ran found herself mysteriously distracted for the rest of the day. She tried to stay in motion as much as she could – scrubbing every floor, every counter, every table until they shone. Yet every time she paused, even for a moment, her mind filled with images of glittering rainbows.

“I’m not sure what was in that coffee,” said Dudley as Ran scraped the grill, “but if this is the effect it has, you can have it for free. Every day.”

“You’re hilarious, Daddy,” Ran said through gritted teeth. She chipped away at some unidentified char that had likely been there for months.

“Honestly kiddo, are you all right? You’ve been buzzing around like a whole hive of bees.”

“I, uh. Oh.” Ran dropped the scraper. Her memory flashed pink. “Just, extra-inspired today I guess! Must be the coffee! Ha ha!” The laugh that came out of her sounded like it belonged to someone else.

Dudley stared at Ran with his brow furrowed, his eyes stormy. “Why don’t you take the rest of the day off?” he said carefully. He rubbed his moustache. “It’s likely to be a quiet night, and you’ve sure earned your keep with all that scrubbing.” He chuckled but stopped when he saw Ran’s frown.

“I can’t do that,” she said. Now there was a small pit sitting heavy at the bottom of her heart, hissing guilt at making her father worry. Just another addition to the cacophony of pink and rainbow in her head. Ran picked up the scraper and resumed her work.

“ _Ran_ ,” said Dudley, “I am your _father_ , and you _will_ listen.” And to her shock – likely his, as well – Ran slowly set the scraper back on the grill. “You can take _one_ afternoon off. Live your life once in a while. Go take a shower, you’re as dirty as that oven.”

Ran looked down at the miserable appliance. “I was gonna do that next.”

“It’ll still be filthy tomorrow. Get out.”

It took a solid five minutes for the shower water to stop running down the drain black. Ran furiously and methodically scrubbed every square inch of her skin and hair. It was far more thorough than the usual rubdown, but she liked the task. Liked having work to do.

And yet, still those images intruded. Popuri was in the rising steam, was in the iridescent soap bubbles, was in the water streaming down Ran’s body. Her skin, glowing and freckled with colour. Her eyes shimmering rubies. She was part of that ethereal world in a way Ran had never seen before. Had never experienced before.

\--------------------

Ran was a free woman for the entire afternoon. She had no idea what to do with herself. She was still tying the ribbon in her ponytail when she exited the back room and slammed straight into Popuri’s fist.

“Oh my gosh!” Popuri gasped. “I was about to knock!” She reached out and cupped Ran’s cheek to examine the damage. “Are you all right?”

Ran was dazed. It really hadn’t hurt at all, just a startle, and she wanted _so_ much to say this, but her mouth refused to move.

“Ran?”

 _Deep breath._ “I’m fine.” _Smile._ “Just a surprise. Don’t worry, I’m tough.” Ran winked. Popuri smiled and relaxed. “What brings you here, anyway?”

“Your dad. He called and asked if I could come hang out with you. Said you need downtime.” Popuri cocked her head. “I thought you seemed a little off this morning. I should’ve asked, I’m sorry.”

“Don’t worry about it. I’m fine. Really.”

“Really?”

Ran looked straight ahead as they left, refusing to meet the gaze of her father, or Popuri, or anything outside the destination. “Really.”

Popuri led Ran down the shorter – and more illegal – route to the pond. Not that anybody cared anymore, but the trek required trespassing across the abandoned farm. When Ran was little it had been a bustling, prosperous farm, but nobody took over after the owner passed and the land soon succumbed to nature. As the land and its buildings became increasingly decrepit over the years, it became even harder to attract buyers. Not that there had ever been many.

“Hey, did you hear there’s another potential buyer for this place?” Popuri said as they hiked through a muddy patch of soil. The farm was so often used as a shortcut that a permanent trail had been carved through the grass, to the point where Gray suggested Gotts lay down cobblestone. Nobody was entirely sure that he was joking.

“Seriously?” Ran snorted.

“Some city girl named Clarice or Claire or something. I dunno, I overheard my mom talking about it with Thomas.”

“Ha. City folk. It’ll never happen.” Ran shook her head and carried on through the muck. It was always the same story with a city person. Someone far away threw down their tie in their nice air-conditioned office, shouting at their boss about freedom from capitalism. But without fail, these people had never seen a cow up close, much less sown a seed or cleaned a barn. After a season or two they all packed up and shut down their “homesteading” blogs. And the locals got their shortcut back.

“Hey, you never know. She might work out.”

Ran smiled. “That’s what you say every time, Popuri.”

When they arrived at the pond Popuri stopped Ran when she tried to turn right. “We’re going to the hot springs,” she said. “You need to relax.”

Ran froze. Oh no. _Oh no. No_ _no no_ _._ Of all the possible nightmares, this was beyond the worst she could imagine. “Popuri, no, I can’t--”

“I know you’ve never been,” Popuri said. She held up a bucket that Ran hadn’t noticed. “That’s why I’m going to help.”

Ran stared blankly at the bucket. “What is that?” She couldn’t understand what it had to do with the hot springs. Maybe there was something inside.

“Yeah, exactly,” said Popuri, and led Ran down the stone path to her doom.

Ran had never even been inside the building before. It was tiny, but clean. They stood in front of the room marked “Women” and Popuri handed the bucket to Ran. “Follow the instructions inside. I’ll wait out here until you’re done. See you later, ok? Just try to enjoy the experience.”

“Oh, good,” Ran said. “I mean, ok. Bye.”

Sure enough, when Ran looked inside the bucket, there was a neatly folded sheet of paper with Popuri’s looping handwriting scrawled all over it.

“Step one, remove clothing. Step two, fold clothing and place on shelf.” Ran read aloud and chuckled to herself. Popuri was not usually the type to be thorough, but when she tried, she went _hard._ Ran touched the indentations on the page made by Popuri’s pen. Filled with sudden resolve, she obeyed her friend’s instructions.

 _Focus on the destination_. It was easy enough to do with the steps laid out. Drops of fear threatened to seep into her mind as Ran stripped down in that public room, but she thought of Popuri protecting her and calmed.

But of course, then that made her think of Popuri being _right out there_ and drops of fear became a torrent of terror.

 _Focus on the destination_. Ran’s throat was parched. She swallowed hard and pushed out every thought. Followed her tasks one by one until before she knew it she was sopping wet and entirely naked and about to step into bright daylight for the entire town to see.

At least Ran had comfort knowing Popuri was going to wait outside until she was done. It was almost enough to calm her mind that this one person wouldn’t see.

The water was dark and murky, and almost uncomfortably hot. Ran winced and slowly lowered her foot into the depths, then the other foot.

“Ran? You doing ok?”

Ran screamed. Her foot rolled on a step and she fell toward the hot water. A hand reached out and grabbed her wrist, yanked her up, and Ran was staring inches from Popuri’s terrified eyes.

“I got you,” she gasped.

“Y-yeah,” Ran stammered. “What are you doing here? You, you said you were going to wait outside.”

“I meant until you were done changing! I know you’re self-conscious about being seen na...ked.”

Popuri dropped Ran’s wrist and stared hard up at the sky. Her cheeks were as bright pink as her hair. “Um. Oh. I’m so, so sorry, Ran.”

Ran squeezed her eyelids shut until she saw stars. “Let’s just get in. You can go first.” She didn’t open her eyes again until Popuri asked what she was waiting for.

The water was just as torturous the second time, but Ran was desperate enough to hide that she pushed past the pain. She submerged herself to her shoulders.

“There, that’s not so bad, is it?” Popuri said. Her eyes were closed.

Ran looked down at herself. Her body disappeared just beyond the water’s surface. And so did Popuri’s. “Less bad than I was expecting,” she admitted.

“Good.” Popuri’s eyes were still shut. “Try to relax. I promise I won’t look, ok?”

“All right.” Ran breathed deep, feeling the cool air mix with the heat of her body. It was invigorating. Cool in, hot out. She didn’t realise her eyes were closed until she fluttered them open. Ran’s vision was filled with Popuri.

Popuri’s hair was piled on top of her head in cotton-candy clouds. She almost looked like she was sleeping, her breaths long and even. Her skin was perfectly smooth, soft. She was the opposite of Ran – Ran’s hair was more straw than silk, her skin more sandpaper than cashmere.

“Thank you,” Ran said suddenly.

“Thank you?” Popuri repeated, confused.

“For... dealing with me, and... this.”

Popuri smiled. Her eyes were still closed, but Ran imagined their sparkle. “For you, anything.”

Ran tore her gaze away from Popuri. Through the steam, she could see the waterfall at Goddess Pond.

“Hey Popuri,” she said, “why were you asking about that field trip this morning?”

“Oh, I was just thinking about the legend of the Harvest Goddess,” Popuri said. Her voice turned dreamy as she said it. “Got me to remembering, I suppose.”

“The legend? The one about--” Ran once again found herself unable to talk.

“True love.” Popuri’s smile was slow and lingering. “Throw an offering into the pond for twenty-one days in a row and she’ll appear to bring your hearts together.”

“And?” Ran tried to force herself to make words. It was like speaking around a rock. “Do you... really...?”

“Well, when the pond lights up like that every morning, you kinda do, a little, don’t you?”

Ran was starting to feel flushed, but she forced a laugh. “Just like you to believe in magic.”

“Anyway... tomorrow is day twenty-one.”

Ran’s stomach dropped.

“What?” she whispered.

Popuri’s cheeks were tinged pink. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner. I was kind of embarrassed.”

“Who is it?” Ran could barely hear herself.

“Well...”

But Ran didn’t stay for the answer.

\-----------------------

Ran assumed the all-important Day Twenty-One went smoothly. She didn’t give Popuri the chance to tell her about it. If her father noticed that it was the first time Ran had ever skipped her morning walk, he had the grace not to mention it.

The days passed in a drudge of chores and grey. Ran completed her work in a mechanical fashion and tried to push Popuri out of her head. Dudley squirrelled her away in back of house, making excuses that she needed to winterize the inn. Ran supposed that she was eventually going to have to return to the pond and confront Popuri. She just needed more time to find the words, gather her feelings, form her apologies. But with each passing day the necessary apologies seemed to grow more insurmountable. She just wanted to keep moving until her body gave out.

On the evening of her fifth broken promise, Dudley delivered a letter to Ran. She recognized the paper and handwriting immediately.

_Meet me at Mother’s Hill._

“Better hurry,” her father said.

Ran leapt up from her chair and darted out the door. The sky was perfectly clear, the first stars already sparkling, and only a slight hint of orange still clinging to the mountaintops. She wasn’t sure why she was running, but those five words urged her, propelled her forward. She barely felt the hike up the mountain. Ran burst through the trees to the summit with all the elegance of a newborn bull. There, staring gracefully back, was Popuri. She was clutching a picnic basket and, as always, a small smile graced her face.

“You came,” she said, her voice soft. “Thank you.”

“Popuri...” Ran cleared her throat and shook her head. “You should be mad. I ran away. I ignored you for almost a week. Why aren’t you mad?”

“I can’t physically feel anger. Remember?” Popuri took a small step toward Ran. “Really though, I wanted to apologise.”

“Wait, what?” Ran froze. She was not prepared for this.

“I didn’t notice the other day at the spring. You had a panic attack and left, right? I should have thought of having a shorter session.”

Ran’s heart crumbled. Popuri thought she’d gotten overstimulated and bolted because of that.

“So of course I’m not mad. I’m just glad you’re up to seeing me again.” Popuri looked away. “I finished giving all the offerings to the Goddess.”

“Oh, really?”

“Nothing happened, of course,” Popuri said with a gentle laugh. “But when I turned around, I saw some rare wild herbs that I’d never seen growing before. And last night I was struck with the realisation that tonight is the harvest moon.” She glanced down at her basket. “Back when this was a real farming town we used to do a whole Moon Viewing festival for this. But I don’t think anyone remembers anymore. I barely did. But I thought...” Popuri drew a sharp breath. “that it’d be... fun to watch it with you.” She pulled a thermos out of the basket. “Basil told me those herbs could be used to make a really nice tea, so that’s in here. And I made some moon dumplings, I hope you’re ok with lots of syrup... Ran? Are you all right?”

Ran blinked away the tears that were threatening to overflow. “Looks amazing,” she said. “Let’s spread that blanket fast, the moon’s starting to rise.”

Ran and Popuri settled on the picnic blanket to watch the harvest moon rise, holding mugs of delicate herbal tea and slowly demolishing a pyramid of pillowy dumplings. They laughed and talked about farming, and farmers, and festivals.

When the moon was high above them, a small silver orb, Ran finally said “Thanks for inviting me. You’re right, it was fun.”

“I want you to stay,” Popuri whispered. Her face was obscured by her hair.

“Popuri?” Ran asked, confused. “What do you mean? What’s going on?”

Popuri was twisting the napkin in her lap. “I wasn’t mad, but every morning I waited and you weren’t there, Ran, it hurt. I know you needed your time to recover but it still hurt. Just _you not being there_ hurt.” Popuri tightened her grip around the napkin until her knuckles turned white. “Not hearing from you hurt. Not seeing you... hurt. Every day I just wanted to run to the inn and break down your door, and Ran it took every ounce of strength I had to keep from doing that.” Her hands were shaking. “Our mornings together are the best part of my day, you know? And for twenty-one days I threw my best hen’s eggs into that pond, praying that I would keep those mornings together with you, and you stopped showing up. And... that... hurt.”

A heavy blanket of stillness settled around them. Ran sat stunned for a moment.

Popuri brought her gaze to meet Ran’s, her deep pink eyes glittering wet. “It was you,” she said softly. “If we have to just be friends, I’ll be fine. But please... don’t go.”

Ran reached out and caressed Popuri’s cheek. Her hand was rough against Popuri’s skin, but Popuri leaned into her touch and sighed. Ran looped her other arm around Popuri’s waist and pulled her close.

Popuri smelled like sweet hay and rosemary. The uncertain moment hung paused for an eternity, as Ran gently tucked an inconvenient strand of hair out of Popuri’s face, and Popuri trembled violently.

“Popuri,” Ran said when her voice finally returned.

“Yes?” Popuri whispered.

“I’m not going anywhere, ok? I’m here. I’ll always be here.”

And Ran brought herself to Popuri to seal their pact. Popuri leaned in, her eyes fluttering shut, and they kissed under the brilliant light of the harvest moon.

Popuri was soft, warm, gentle. Her lips were traced with syrup, her tongue with herbal tea. Exploring her was like breathing mountain air for the first time, or plunging into the ocean on New Year’s, or perhaps falling into a hot spring.

When they broke apart Popuri was radiant in moonlight. And Ran knew they had to leave; they’d stayed too late as it was and precious sleep hours were slowly dwindling away. But she had to force herself to do so. They packed the basket and made their way back down the mountain together. Ran threaded her fingers between Popuri’s. They fit together perfectly, she thought.

Ran walked Popuri to her front door. When they arrived at the front gate, Popuri took a very long time to search for her latch key.

“I’ll see you tomorrow morning?” Popuri asked.

Ran smiled.

“I promise.”


End file.
